Howard Dean on Environment

Former VT Governor; Former Democratic Candidate for President

Dean's first campaign in 1982 focused on bicycle paths

In 1982, Dean ran for a Vermont House seat. Dean's platform consisted largely of his support for the Burlington bike path & his determination to protect the city's waterfront from aggressive development. Although the issues primarily affected Burlington,
the bike path needed both federal & state funding to succeed. The issue, combined with Dean's volunteer work at a low-income medical clinic, gave Dean broad appeal. Yuppies, who wanted the bike path, and low-income voters all liked him. He won easily.

Source: Citizen's Guide to the Man Who Would be President, p. 64-65
Oct 1, 2003

Free trade must include environmental standards

We can't do free trade agreements any more without labor and environmental standards. That means we've got to stop other countries from being subsidized essentially by having lower environmental standards than we do. That is, if you go to a plant where
they can put their effluent in a stream without any treatment and the same product's made in America and the company has to pay for treatment, clearly that's a large subsidy for the company that's in a third world country. That has to stop.

Source: DeanForAmerica.com website, "Trade Policy Q&A"
Apr 15, 2003

No need to poison ourselves in order to have growth

We have to make practical trade offs. We need houses, jobs and opportunities for growth. But we don't need to poison ourselves and our heritage in order to have growth.

The record of the Bush Administration on environmental matters is fatally flawed.
My own state is a victim of the President's latest attempt to weaken the Clean Air rules. Vermont and many other Eastern states (even those run by Republican governors) are suing to require the federal government to enforce that act. We worry about
eating the fish we catch in our lakes because of mercury deposited by power plant emissions which should have been cleaned up long ago.

I believe we must not only enforce existing clean air and water standards, but strengthen them.
We must promote the use of renewable energy sources. We must conserve our wild and open spaces, strengthen our community centers to reduce sprawl, and do everything possible to ensure our natural environment isn't a threat to public health.

Eliminate mercury releases by 2003.

Dean signed the New England Governors' Conference resolution:

WHEREAS, the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) is well on its way to meeting the 50% reduction goal outlined in its 1998 Mercury Action Plan before the target date of 2003, and that a sustained, coordinated effort continues to be necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of “virtual elimination of anthropogenic mercury” releases into the environment, including the identification of other potential sources of mercury releases and their appropriate controls; and.

WHEREAS, the New England states each have freshwater fish consumption advisories and recent information suggests a parallel need for salt-water fish advisories for certain species of fish; and

WHEREAS, success in keeping anthropogenic [from human sources] mercury out of the environment depends on ensuring that stockpiled and recovered mercury is retired from the market in a safe and permanent manner;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the NEGC recommends that each state commit to working with their respective legislatures toward the goal of “virtual elimination” of anthropogenic mercury as expeditiously as feasible, and to evaluate new reduction targets beyond the 50% reduction by 2003 [and new targets for 2010]; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the NEGC make every effort to work constructively and efficiently with industry, EPA, and other state and federal agencies as needed to ensure that large quantities of stockpiled or recovered mercury are permanently retired in a manner that safely and securely avoids reintroduction of that mercury into the marketplace or, potentially, into the environment.

More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups.

Dean adopted the National Governors Association position paper:

The Issue

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), otherwise known as Superfund, was created to clean up the worst hazardous waste sites across the country and to recoup expenses from responsible parties. Since the law was enacted in 1980, the Superfund program has caused significant amounts of litigation, while cleanup of hazardous waste sites has not been as fast or effective as the statute envisioned. In addition, states have not had the necessary tools or funding from the federal government to adequately clean up state sites. “Brownfields” sites—abandoned or undeveloped non-Superfund industrial or commercial sites under state jurisdiction—have gained increasing attention from Congress in recent years as passage of a comprehensive Superfund package has become increasingly unlikely.

NGA’s Position

NGA supports the reauthorization of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980. NGA policy calls for more opportunities for states to take authority for cleanup of National Priorities List (NPL) sites, increased autonomy and funding over brownfield sites, and the concurrence of a Governor before a site can be listed on the NPL.

Support State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible Clean Water.

Dean adopted the National Governors Association position paper:

The Issue

The Clean Water Act (CWA) has not been reauthorized since 1987. At that time, provisions were added to address nonpoint source pollution, pollution from diffuse sources such as runoff of fertilizers and pesticides, stormwater runoff, and sediment. Governors and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) disagree on the best approach to addressing the problem of nonpoint source pollution.

NGA’s Position

NGA supports the reauthorization of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (the Clean Water Act). The Governors support an increased focus on watershed management planning, including funding for the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) and nonpoint source pollution programs. States should have the flexibility to develop plans for attaining federally approved water quality standards in impaired waters - in consultation with local government officials and stakeholders - and to allocate responsibility for cleanup among contributors. The TMDL regulations should be revised, by legislation if necessary, to give states adequate flexibility, funding, and time to address impaired waters.